The Leader of the Pack
by Elaine Moss
Summary: Bella Swan is the goody two shoes at Forks High. Edward Cullen is the newcomer, the bad boy, the troublemaker. Will the romance last?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One - I Met Him At The Candy Store

It was just another first day of school. There was nothing special about it. The rainy town of Forks was still small and wet, and I was still stuck there. I woke up that morning with a heavy feeling, like a stone, in the pit of my stomach. I rolled out of bed and glared at my grey windows while I dressed. Today of all days, a Monday, was the time school had to start.

The kitchen was empty as I carefully skipped down the stairs, trying desperately not to trip and roll the rest of the way down. I managed to get downstairs and to the toaster, popping in two Pop Tarts before gathering my backpack and jacket. They were done by the time I breezed by on my way to the front door. Even though I hated school, I hated conversations with my dad, Charlie, even more. I woke up early so I wouldn't get an earful from Charlie about how this was my senior year and how it mattered. I knew that.

Still, my stomach did flip flops as I ate and maneuvered my car slowly over the glossy pavement that led me to the institution that was to, again, become my second home.

I held one pastry in a shaky hand as I thought it over. I was a senior now, no longer a freshmen, sophomore, or junior. I was at the top of the food chain, the peak of this roller coaster ride that was soon going to barrel down towards earth, taking me with it. After this, I would be off to college, then a job, and then...

"Watch it, lady!" someone screamed at me, and a chorus of honking cars awoke me form my daze. I slammed on the brakes and narrowly missed clipping a minivan. I froze, both hands squeezing the steering wheel. My Pop Tart was squished into my palm and the wheel.

"Sorry," I called out, my voice trembling out of my mouth as I slowly started up again and focused on the parking lot ahead of me.

I had to take control. It was months before graduation would loom into view. I would be okay until then. I told myself this comforting lie as I left my truck, backpack slung over my shoulder, and headed for the gymnasium. Somehow, by lying I eased my soul and calmed my aching stomach.

The doors were, surprisingly, crowded with students. I waved to a few who I knew and smiled at those that waved at me first, struggling to remember their names. There weren't many kids going to Forks High, but there were enough for me to not know them all. I pushed through the bantam crew and looked for the table marked 'S'. I picked up my locator card and trudged my way to the cafeteria, plopping down with a sigh in my usual seat. I was thankful for the few minutes I had to look over my schedule for the year and perhaps gather myself before facing the teachers again. I just couldn't fathom it as I gazed down at my list of classes and waited for the first bell to ring.

I had all my boring classes lined up in a row, right at the beginning of my day. First Government, then AP English, then Calculus, and finally Physics. I groaned. Why didn't they just chain me to my desk and skip all the candy coating? I threw the paper down on the table and frowned. At least I still had P.E. last with Art and Spanish back to back.

"Ooh, don't let me interrupt," Jessica Stanley, one of my friends murmured as she slid into the set opposite me.

"Let me guess, you got all the easy class?" I joked as I traded papers with her. My eyes wandered over her schedule and my jaw almost dropped. Her day was going to be a walk in the park compared to mine.

Jessica groaned. "Please, I wish," she sighed, "I have Mr. Calhoun for English, Mrs. Perry for French, and Mr. Spitzer for Chemistry. They are the worst!" I couldn't help but laugh, and Jessica scowled.

I gave her my sorry look and her face cleared up. She knew that I always envied how she easily avoided the hard classes, even though the teachers she ended up with sucked.Ever since elementary school, Jessica and I would swap stories about teachers and laugh at the crazy antics we could cook up. Our friendship hasn't changed much, but Jessica became more boy crazy and I focused on my schoolwork. While she drooled over pictures of Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom, I ignored them. The male gender wasn't that fascinating to me.

The first bell rang, making us both groan in protest. Jessica gave me a hug before skipping off the first period. I trudged my way to my government class, wishing that the teacher would simply pass out the syllabus and drone on for the hour. Homework on the first day of school would definitely bring my day down.

When I stepped into the classroom, my eyes zoned in on the seat strategically placed in the back by the door. I slid into the seat and slumped down a bit, trying to be invisible. I could see that Mike Newton, one of my not-so-secret admirers, chatting with his buddy, Eric. I avoided their gaze when they glanced back at me. Instead, I focused on the elderly looking man scribbling something down on the whiteboard. From far away, he seemed like a nice man, but teachers never used their best first impression throughout the year.

As I slipped out a notebook to doodle on, I heard the door slam again. My head snapped up, and I caught the sight of someone's jacket brush past my desk. It was a young boy, about my age, that slipped in and sat two seats ahead of me, one row over. He ignored the looks others gave him and settled into his seat, his bronze hair tousled and damp with rain. I gawked at his broad shoulder and almost dropped my pen. He was new on town; I knew this because I had never seen him before, nor did I recognize his name, which was whispered around the room.

"_Cullen, right? Edward Cullen. I heard his family's a bunch of snobs."_

"_Edward? Who names their kid Edward? I bet his parents are old fashioned or something."_

"_I wonder why they moved to Forks. The blonde chick looks like she belongs in Los Angeles or something."_

I tried to ignore the notes being passed I as listened to the teacher begin his start of the year speech, but I couldn't keep my eyes off this mysterious Edward Cullen. My eyes flickered from the whiteboard to his back, still clad by his leather jacket.

I wondered how he could stand wearing it indoors, but I guessed it was getting colder outside. Instinctively, I shrugged into my sweater and turned back to the teacher. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Edward didn't move his head one inch. He stared like a statue at the front of the class, not bothering to glance around the room.

I felt a blushcreep over my face as I realized how I was gazing at him.I didn't even know who he was. In a rush of embarrassment, I kept my eyes fixed on my notebook as I scrawled down what the teacher was saying, and ignored with all my might the strange boy that my mind couldn't leave alone.

The bell rang after what seemed an eternity, and I hurried to leave the room. Without thinking, I wheeled around and headed for the door, running straight into someone's chest. I felt my backpack, fall to the ground as I tumbled forward. Two hands gripped my shoulders to help regain my balance, and I whispered an apology when I looked up.

"Sorry," Edward Cullen mumbled as he stopped to pick up my bag, his face blank of emotion. His eyes, a deep green, held all the spirit inside them.He held himself away from me, his mouth twisted into a brittle but comic smile.

"Thank you," I stammered as I took the backpack from his hand and stumbled out the classroom. I could still feel his gaze on me as I wove my way through the other students. It made my heart beat out of sync, my breath hitch strangely in my throat. If someone had asked me that morning if I was interested in any man, I would have laughed and said no. I would have scoffed at romance and love and being happy. It wasn't for me. I was too smart and too logical to think about such things.

But in that moment, I wasn't so sure.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two - He Smiled at Me

I spent the rest of the day in a daze. I didn't remember what the other teachers said, I silently sat through lunch with a blank look on my face, and I didn't even participate in Jessica's update on the gossip. As I munched on my salad and stared off into space, my thoughts spun around one name: Edward Cullen.

From what I gathered, Edward and his family moved down to Forks only a few weeks before, which explained why I didn't recognize the name. The group consisted of five siblings: Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. Their foster father. Dr. Cullen, had adopted them when they were just youngsters. Rosalie and Jasper, the twin blondes, were the only ones that were actually related. From where I sat with my friends, I could see them sitting at the table furthest away from the others. They sat silently and picked at their food, not bothering to speak to anyone but themselves. It felt weird to even look at them, but the way they sat with aloof expression on their faces, their food barely touched. I guessed they didn't like the cafeteria food, just like everyone else.

I tried to keep my focus on my salad and caught bits and pieces of Jessica's babble. She was gushing about the boys down on the La Push reservation, a topic which didn't delight me at all. My friend, Jacob, lived there and even he wasn't impressed with the ogling. I tried to keep the smug smile off my face as I sipped my soda and glanced up at the Cullen's table again. The blonde girl, Rosalie, was bent over and murmuring to Edward. Her eyes would fervently flicker to our table as she spoke in harsh whispers. His expression, on the other hand, was unfathomable. He didn't look at me.

I felt my face flush with embarrassment as I sipped my drink, my hand beginning to tremble. I didn't even know this guy, and he already had my stomach twisted in knots.

"Bella....BELLA!" someone shouted, and I jumped, spilling my soda on the table. Jessica hopped up and helped me mop up the mess. I looked to see who had called my name.

Mike was staring at me with an odd expression, and I asked, "What the hell, Mike?"

"Eric and I are planning a trip to Seattle. You wanna come?" he made his puppy dog eyes and pouted his mouth. I laughed. For the past few months, they begged me to join them on their weekly excursions into the city. Usually it ended in underage drinking and hangovers. I recalled the last time Mike took a group up to port Angeles, which ended with him puking all over her dad's couch. It smelled like fish and whiskey.

"No, but thanks anyways," I replied, trying to keep the mental picture out of my head, "I'm busy this weekend. Maybe some other time?"Mike nodded his head sadly and turned back to talking with Eric and Lauren.

I threw the soaked napkins I'd used to soak up the soda into the trash can and headed for my next class before the bell rang. I had P.E. next, which was going to be a nightmare. Since Forks required four years of P.E. instead of one or two like any other state, I was stuck tripping over my feet and slamming my racket into someone's face. I could already see the regret on my team's face.

After I changed into my gym clothes, I walked into the gym and froze, nearly knocking into one of the teachers. Edward and Alice Cullen were sitting at the top of the wooden bleachers, laughing and smiling as they chatted with a couple of girls I recognized from the cheerleading squad. The girls would giggle every time Edward opened his mouth, which seemed to annoy Alice. She merely frowned and ran her fingers through her spiky, black hair.

I watched them with a fever running over my cheeks, and I stumbled to the bottom of the bleachers and waited for the instructor to give us orders. I could still hear them laughing and chattering away behind me while I sat quietly, my blush a fiery red.

It was silly, but I felt like his eyes were on me. Every so often, when the coach wasn't looking, I would peek behind me and see him glance down at me, his eyes curious but cautious. His sister ignored me altogether, but she ignored the cheerleaders equally. Her face remained the same way, bored and annoyed, as the teacher split us up into teams. We were going to play volleyball, which was the worst of my evils.

The teacher called out our names, replied with cheers and groans, until it was only Edward, myself, and three girls that sat in one corner and chewed gum. I internally groaned and trudged into position, feeling my stomach do flip flops as I watched Edward stand opposite me. He didn't say anything as he served the ball.

Apparently, the girl on my team was good at this sport, because she spit her gum on the floor and spiked the ball back to the other side. I watched and occasionally gave my best at hitting the ball over, which luckily went over the net without killing anybody. I started to get the hang of things and my swings became more precise, my shots bouncing just inside the court while avoiding Edward's confident hands. His face became concentrated as he focused more on the back of the court, which amused and frustrated me.

I started to get too cocky with my moves, and the last serve I gave almost smacked Edward's partner in the stomach. I felt my nerves kick in again, and I nearly tumbled over my own feet in chagrin. I stood back and let my partner take over for a bit while I watched Edward eyeing me from his side of the net. His forehead was slick with sweat, but it was his expression that shocked me. It was amazed, as if he's never seen a girl play so well at a sport. I gave him a weak smile and he returned it, which sent my heart racing. I looked away from him and found myself gazing at a volleyball heading straight for my face. In a rush of energy, I spiked it awkwardly with my fist and watched in terror as the ball bounced over the net and right into Edward's face.

At first, I felt like throwing up. I observed the ball smash into his nose, then bounce to the floor where it idled by his feet. His hands flew up to his face and blocked it from view, but I still caught the look of pain and horror capturing his features. I rushed beneath the net, ignoring the other gasps from the other students. My frantic hands wrapped over his face gingerly pulled them from his face. I saw the color rise on his skin, the blood sticking to his nostrils, and the purple shade of a bruise forming. I felt my own face drain of blood as I mumbled apologies.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see the ball coming and I wasn't paying attention to where I hit it. That was stupid of me, I should have paid attention to what I was doing and-"

"It's okay," he replied softly, his lips pulled into a crooked smile, "Happens all the time."

I offered to escort him to the nurse for an ice pack and tissue, all the while peeking at him from the corner of my eye. He truly wasn't upset with what had happened, and his smile never left his face. He merely held his nose to keep it from dripping blood and asked me random questions about Forks. We talked about the weather, the school, and some of the stuff people in the area did for fun. I didn't bother bringing up the trip Mike told me about. Newcomers wouldn't want to be subjected to his crap.

"The whole 'small town charm' is bullshit," I confessed to him once we got to the nurse's office, "It's cold and wet and boring here. Why did you decide this place over Forks?" The question sounded rude, but it was odd to get a doctor to move here willingly.

"My mother. Well, my foster mother. She loved it when she first saw it, so my dad applied at the hospital. He's grateful he got the job, considering my past," Edward's voice was sad at the end, which made my eyebrows scrunch together.

"I'm not a good friend." His voice was definite, as if the words were written in stone.

I stood silently, my face rooted in shock and hurt, and the emotions on his changed. He smiled again and held out his hand.

"It's silly how we haven't introduced ourselves. I should at least know your name. I'm Edward Cullen, but I guess you already know that."

"Yeah," I said, extending my hand, "My name is Bella."

That was when I knew I would know who this boy was, no matter what he thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - That's When I Fell For Him

I mulled over what Edward said when I got home that evening. My mind, still reeling with questions to which I could find no answers, was distracted as I prepared dinner. I was making simple tomato soup and cheese sandwiches so I wouldn't burn the house down. I couldn't think straight, even when I poured milk into the soup. His face burned itself into my mind, following me wherever I went. I stopped, my hand frozen with the cheese in my hand, and admired the picture in my head. It felt foolish to be thinking of boys when Charlie would be home soon with his appetite in tow. I shook the thoughts away and began to fry the sandwiches, struggling to forget the outstanding pain I seemed to catch in Edward's expression.

My hands slipped when I recalled Edward's voice, startling myself like a silly girl. It was clear as a bell, but he wasn't in the kitchen. But, the voice wasn't what frightened me. It was what he said.

"_I'm not a good friend."_

I'm not a good friend? What did that mean?

I was setting the table for the two of us when I heard the car pull into the drive, so I stopped what I was doing to greet my dad. As the Chief of Police, my dad worked late hours and often came home dead on his feet. This night however, he was livid over something as he stomped into the living room, slinging his holster and jacket rather harshly onto the coat rack. I followed him to the kitchen, making sure to keep a safe distance from him. My dad wasn't a vocal person when it came to his feelings, and seeing him to upset made me nervous.

"Uh, are you okay, Dad?" I asked as I went to grab the food. I served each of us bowls of steaming soup and set the platter of sandwiches between us.

My question brought him back to reality, and he said in a startled tone, "Another speeder. And a Volvo at that." He picked up a cheese sandwich and took a bit, visibly considering his words before he spoke again. "I caught him doing eighty in a forty zone. Such a brat . He even tried to use the stupid excuse that he was in a hurry. Trust me, if you ever try to date one of those punks, you'll have to walk."

"Dad, I have a car of my own," I interrupted, "Besides, I don't date. Who was the guy, anyways?" I guessed Mike, since I knew he had a lead foot. At least, according to what Jessica told me. She always complained about having to take the passenger seat whenever they went out, preferring the back seat and the sound of the water lapping against the rocks at First Beach. The idea of that being a perfect date only made me cringe from boys even more.

My dad's eyebrows scrunched together in thought. "One of the new kids, the Cullens," he said through a mouthful of food, "Edmund, I think. The one with the reddish hair."

I felt the bread I was chewing on lodge in my throat, blocking the air form getting to my lungs, and I swear my heart almost stopped. I cleared my throat and spoke in a quiet voice.

"Edward?"

"You know the kid?" Dad asked, spoonful of soup almost to his mouth. I gave a small nod. Know was too strong of a word at the moment, but I was aware of his presence.

"Promise me you'll never get into a car with him. He's a maniac behind the wheel and has no respect for authority," he said, stern and unmoving. I nodded again, this time much stronger. Charlie was a humble man, but when it came to his job, he wanted people to treat him with regard.

Unfortunately, most teenagers by then had already heard their fill of "Fight the Power" songs, and the bitter taste towards law enforcement still lingered in their mouths. I, however, kept on the right side of the law, even if it took off its badge before dinner.

"I accidentally gave him a nose bleed in gym today," I offered, hoping he would be at least impressed.

"Good girl." And that was the end of that. For then.

A few hours later, after dad had fallen asleep on the couch watching some sports game, I crept up to my room and turned on my laptop. Even though I could hear my father's snores floating up the stairs, my hands trembled as I typed in 'Edward Cullen' into the search engine. I acme up with a flood of responses, from biographies on some saint with the same name to lyrics for an unknown artist. But at last, I found an article from a newspaper, dated only a month before. I clicked on it and felt my stomach drop.

It was from the San Francisco Times, and in the middle was a blown up picture of Edward's face. It was ashen and tired, like he had been up for days. Not at all the handsome boy I saw that afternoon in the gym. As I scrolled down, I caught the article itself and read, pouring over every word.

_Dr. Carlisle Cullen, famous for his surgical skills, charming smile and wonderful family life, now has a blot on his perfect image. His son, Edward Anthony Cullen, was recently caught in his hometown, in possession of a prostitute and marijuana. Police reports say he used vulgar language and protested to being arrested, also causing a scuffle with the arresting officer. The girl in question did not make any comments and was released to the custody of her parents. Edward Cullen was sent to the county jail where he now awaits a hearing from the judge to receive the charges. Cullen may receive up to five months in jail or a year in rehab. Dr. Cullen has yet to make an official statement on the behalf of his son, but we have heard rumors of him pleading for rehab so he cane movie his family out of state. Edward Cullen, a senior in high school, has refused to comment on his crimes._

I paused, my eyes glued to the screen. I scrolled back up and gazed into the blank eyes of his photograph, apparently his mug shot from when he was taken into the jail. He looked back at me, his exhausted face mirroring his words earlier that day again. _I'm not a good friend._

I quickly shut my computer and sat on my bed for a moment, staring blankly into the blackness of my room. I imagined him there, watching me, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. _I told you I'm no good, _I could hear him saying that over and over again in my head, my mind manipulating his voice to mold around those words. My breath quickened and my heart raced inside me as I stood up, nearly stumbling over the slick hardwood floor, and turned on my desk lamp. The light flooded a large circle of the room, covering me whole. There was no ghostly Edward watching me, no eyes peering at me from the shadows.

But I was not afraid of him, nor was I upset. The strange and disturbing emotion that came over me as I headed downstair again was desire. I wanted to see him again. I needed to.

The next morning, I pulled into the parking lot at school, and my stomach made flip flops. I was parked at the end closest to the school where most of the spots were empty. The kids that actually owned their own cars or borrowed one form their parents raced for the furthest spots so they could easily ditch to have a smoke or "catch up" with their beaus. This left me with the best place to park, right where I could scurry to the sanctuary of my truck and head home before somebody bothered me about a date or a study session.

I sat in the warm cab of my truck and rubbed my hands together, hoping my jacket would keep out the cold and somehow that I could retain some of the warmth before I sprinted for the comfort of the old brick buildings. It was only seven in the morning, but the chill had settled in before I had woken up.

Normally I felt fine this early in the day, but seeing a silver Volvo three cars down gave me a nauseous feeling. I climbed out of the cab and slammed my door shut. I winced at the loud sound, wishing I had a car with doors that shut when you effortlessly closed them. I kept my eyes forward and my book bag slung over my should, picturing it as a machine gun, ready to blast away anyone who got in my way.

I couldn't fathom why I felt that strong impulse to see that Edward boy again. He was danger, bad news, no good for me. He had all the warning signs and then some. The title to the article I read that night read: DOES THE APPLE FALL FAR FORM THE TREE? Was he a bad seed, or just an apple with a bruise, making him undesirable to everyone except me?

That question would have to wait. I spotted his sister Alice, walking arm in arm with her tall blonde sister. Rosalie, I think he name was. They were chatting about dying their hair again. I could barely see the roots of Alice's hair, but they bore a lighter shade than the rest of her hair. Rosalie's, however, was fading from blonde to a light shade of brown. Even though they were all adopted form different people, they weren't so entirely different.

I didn't notice that I had come to a complete stop in the middle of the lane until I saw the two girls ahead of me pause and turn, looking at me with an odd expression on their faces, which quickly morphed into shock. They pointed behind me and yelled, but I was in too much of a daze to understand. My legs swivelled slightly, turning to see what they were so shocked about when something slammed into me pushing me sideways. I couldn't turn to see what had dragged me down, but I caught the headlights before the side of my head met asphalt, and everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - The Leader of the Pack

At first, it felt like I was listening to a radio that lost its station, and I was fiddling with the knobs to find it again. The voices sounded disconnected and came form various places around me. They skipped, bouncing around me from odd locations, and different one surfaced every few minutes. There was a female at my head, then a male by my feet, then another male at my side, saying words I didn't understand I couldn't feel pain, but I felt extremely annoyed.

Why wouldn't they explain to me what happened? Why weren't they trying to wake me up or something? I pushed with whatever limbs I still had left to make myself known. Instead, I heard a low groan, and I realized it came from me. My eyes opened up, and then narrowed form a bright light above me.

I was in the back of an ambulance, and there were paramedics crowding me, taking my stats and whatnot and shouting things at each other. I squinted and tried to see things more clearly, but my mind fogged over and their faces blurred. I couldn't move my hands but I could turn my head, and I saw that someone was sitting on the narrow seat lining the side of the vehicle.

Edward Cullen. I saw his pale face before I could comprehend why I was seeing him. Before I blanked out, I had heard him beside me, his voice so whisper quiet I could hardly believe he said it.

_No._ The word was concrete in my head, but I didn't know if he said it, or if I said it, or if I had dreamed the whole thing up and he wasn't really sitting there. But, I felt pressure on my right hand, and I glanced down. His fingers fit between mine, his fair skin matching mine. My eyes wandered sluggishly back to his face, and noticed his eyes were desperately watching my face. I tried to smile, glad that he was there with me instead of someone else.

"What the hell happened?" I struggled to say. It felt like someone else was speaking for me.

"You stopped walking right when Mike Newton pulled into the lot. It was almost too late for him to stop, so I pushed you out of the way," his voice was shaky as he replied, and I felt him squeeze my hand.

"Sorry about that," I whispered, giving a small laugh. His lips, once white as his skin, twisted into a pained smile as he looked over my head. I couldn't lift my head that far, so I looked to him, my eyes full of fright. He was close enough to e then that I could see my reflection in his eyes. Distorted as it was, I could detect the fear in myself.

His mouth was at my ear, whispering fast. "They need to take you away now, but I'll be right there. Don't worry."

Before I could ask what he was talking about, the door behind me burst open, blowing in cold air form the outside. I was being ferried down, and my hands quickly grasped the metal sides of whatever carried me. There was a sudden jolt, some jostling about, and then I was flying backwards, watching Edward leap down from the back of the ambulance, his eyes never leaving me for a second.

I saw everything backwards. Doors closed behind us and people walked until they disappeared form my line of view. Doctors soon joined the party and began asking questions, looking at me with close inspection, peering into my eyes, checking my pulse, asking f anything hurt. As the sleepy feeling began to wear off, I felt throbbing by my right ear. I moaned and nodded when someone gently pressed their fingertips to that spot, and a chorus of murmuring echoed around me. I saw Edward's face looming over me as he spoke to the doctors.

A small team of nurses took over when the medics left, and they picked me up and placed me on a different bed. It was softer and had no railing on it. My head sank into a soft pillow, which briefly distracted me from the constant pulsating coming from my head. There was a similar ache at my right elbow and knees, probably from where I landed. I tried to move, but the pain pierced me suddenly and I cried out. A nurse came to my side and soothed me back into a comfortable position. When I glanced back at Edward, his eyes were on me again, and I could see he looked like how I was feeling.

"I tried to keep her from hitting the pavement, but the more important thing for me was to keep us form getting hit," his gentle voice explained as I was wheeled into an empty room. He sat in one of the chairs with a doctor as the rest of nurses crowded around me, taking all sorts of tests. All I wanted to see was what had happened to me. I craned my neck to catch my reflection in something: a mirror, a metal basin, even the vase that held flowers by my bed.

"Can I have a mirror please?" I said, my voice cracked and filled with pain. A different nurse paused and reluctantly held up a compact to my face. It was small and hard to see into, but I found bruises rising on the right side of my face, red cuts grazing my cheek.

I swallowed and blinked back the tears that welled up in my eyes and I turned my face away, not wanting to see it anymore. The harsh snap of the compact closing was followed by a male voice further away from me.

"Could you prep a few scans for her, Miriam? I'll be down with her in a few minutes," it was the doctor questioning Edward. I heard the squeak of a chair as footsteps came by my bed, to my left where I was facing. I opened my eyes and saw a man with blonde worriedly smiling down at me. He didn't look at all familiar until Edward stood beside him.

"I'm Dr. Cullen, Miss Swan," he said in a clam voice, "I understand my son saved you form being hit by a car?"

I nodded, my throat too dry to speak again.

"Well, you were unconscious for about ten minutes, but you seem to show no signs of a concussion. We wills till need to take a few x-rays to make sure you haven't broken anything. As you can see, there are some cuts and bruises on your face, but you will recover from those quickly. Broken bones don't heal as fast." He clicked his pen open and scribbled something down his clipboard. Edward sat down on the edge of the bed and looked up at his father.

"She'll be okay, right? You've seen worse than this walk away with only a few scratches." His voice was nervous and shaky again, like he was about to cry. I scooted over to give him room.

His father's reply was grave, and it made me shiver. "She'll be fine, but I need to see if there is any brain damage before I send her home. And that time before the person was wearing a helmet." Dr. Cullen clicked his pen shut and closed his clipboard, giving me a smile before he headed for the door. Looking back, he said to us both, "There will be a nurse by soon to take you to get your x-ray scans done. Watch over her, Edward. You know how to reach someone form here." With that, he shut the door behind him and we were alone.

It was silent for a good minute, and I listened to Edward's hitched breathing. After a moment, his face turned to me, and his eyes were rimmed with red. I bit my lip as I felt a lump rise in my throat. I had never had anyone cry over me like that. When I was five and I broke my collarbone climbing in a tree, my dad carried me to the ER without a single tear, even though his skin was just as pale as this boy's.

"I've never seen anyone die," he whispered, his hand fumbling over the blanket to find mine. Our fingers touch and his were wet from wiping his eyes.

I was dumbfounded. "What are you talking about?"

"I thought you were going to die. I saw you standing there, staring at my sisters, and I saw your face. But it was pale and your eyes were closed, like you were already dead before the car had a chance to hit you. And while I was running to you, I thought of how I've never seen a dead person. I didn't even see my folks die or go to their funeral. I was only four," he rambled on, rubbing his thumb over my skin.

I shook my head the best that I could. "I'm not going to die. And you are a good friend." I saw him freeze and then look at me, his eyes wide with surprise.

"You saved my life, and you came with me here," I continued, "I don't know why you think of yourself like that, but I think you're pretty amazing." My aches and pains, still present, were slowly fading back again. I was able to lean on my left elbow to get a better look at him. He looked nothing like the boy I saw on my computer screen the night before.

Before I could say anything else, a nurse bustled in and told Edward he had to stay where he was. He sat back down in his chair, and as the nurse helped me into a wheelchair, I noticed my backpack was sitting my his feet like an obedient dog. He gave me a hopeful smile as I left room, and I couldn't mine off my face until I entered the x-ray room.

By the time I got back to my room, someone else was waiting for me, and he jumped up as soon as the nurse helped me crawl back under the sheets of the bed.

"Sweetie! Thank God you're okay!" Charlie exclaimed as he rushed forward to give me a hug, pausing when he saw me flinch. "I'm sorry, Bells." He gave me a soft hug and quickly retreated to pull a chair close to the side of the bed. He wasn't blanch or crying, but he did look very worried as he dumped question after question on me.

"What happened? Do you know how bad it is? Are you feeling okay? Would you like me to call your Mom-"

"Dad, slow down!" I interjected, overwhelmed by everything, "I'm fine. I don't have any broken bones, no fractured skull. Just a few cuts and bruises from the fall. I was in the parking lot at school when Mike pulled in. I was standing in the middle of the lane and he didn't have time to put on the brakes, so...someone shoved me out of the way. I'm supposed to be in here until someone signs me out."

Dr. Cullen had congratulated her in the hall about being a lucky girl but she didn't feel so lucky. And now Edward was gone, I felt suddenly very lonely.

"Okay Bells," Dad replied, sighing with relief as he stood from the chair, "I'll be right back. We'll have you singed out and in the car in no time." He left the room after giving me a kiss on the forehead, and then I was truly and utterly alone.

I counted the holes on the ceiling. I listened to the murmuring of voices muffled by the closed door. I hummed songs to myself as I picked at threads on the blanket and thought of the headlights I saw. They weren't on, it being light outside, but the round shape of them was vivid in my mind. I couldn't remember seeing anyone run to my side, nor could I recall feeling anything but a hard shove and a thump against my head. I didn't even have time or energy to hear his voice, but now that I was lucid it came flooding back to me.

"_She's going to be alright, right? She isn't responding to me. Bella! Can you hear me?"_

"_Damn it, Ed, clam down! She'll be fine, just stay where the hell you are and the ambulance will be here!"_

"_Don't tell me to calm the fuck down, Rose! She could die!"_

"_She won't die, you know that. Keep here head up and try to wake her up. Why did you push her instead of pulling her, anyways? She wouldn't have hit her head like that."_

"_I didn't have time to think about that. Leave us alone, okay? Get to class..."_

Shaking my head to throw off the voices, I cleared my head and stared at the door, pushing myself up onto my elbows so I could see better. As soon as I was comfortable, Charlie opened the door, this time the one with the wheelchair.

"They don't want you to be running around for a little while, so we're borrowing this for a few days," he said as I gingerly scooted over to the edge of the bed where Edward was sitting before. I winced as I picked myself up and eased into the cool seat of the wheelchair, and leaned back while my dad pushed me out the open door. I kept my head down as some of the nurses waved and wished me good luck for my recovery.

"You'll be right as rain, Bells. You're my baby girl," my dad said as he exited through the automatic doors, into the cold once more. I nodded my head, but it felt like a lie. Rain was a filthy liar.


End file.
